Top chord member for railway cars

Abstract

A sidewall and top chord member for an open top gondola or hopper railway car. The top chord member is a lightweight rectangular tubular extrusion of aluminum having a pair of spaced wear pads on the top surface thereof to contact rotary or shaker type car unloading equipment.

We claim: 
     
       1. A rectangular, tubular top chord member extending longitudinally along the top of a sidewall and the tops of side posts of an open top railway car, said top chord member comprising parallel top and bottom walls and parallel sidewalls and an attachment leg extending below said bottom wall as an extension of one of said sidewalls said top wall having portions adjacent to said sidewalls thicker than the center portion of said top wall and said sidewalls and said bottom wall, said thicker portions adapted to serve as wear pads when said top chord member is clamped in a railway car unloading device. 
     
     
       2. The top chord member of claim 1 where said chord member is an aluminum extrusion. 
     
     
       3. The top chord member of claim 1 wherein the top wall portions adjacent to said sidewalls are at least twice as thick as the center portion of said top wall and said sidewalls and said bottom wall.